Lavrov disappointed with talks with British FM
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Russia's Foreign Minister says relations with Britain have reached their lowest levels in many years, and stresses that Western ultimatums and threats are "a dead-end and will yield nothing."
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
In a meeting held in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned to his British counterpart Liz Truss that Russian-British relations "have perhaps reached their lowest levels in many years."
Addressing Truss, the Russian Minister noted that if Britains' actual goal of the visit is to improve relations with Russia, "then we will definitely respond in kind because we cannot be satisfied with the relations that have perhaps reached their lowest levels in many years."
The top Russian diplomat stressed that "communication between any international players should have an added value for both parties, this is the only way to ensure positive results" and restore the bilateral cooperation that was suspended for a long time.
"Such attitudes immediately lead to positive things, and the continuing expansion of our trade, economic and investment cooperation, as well as of cultural and humanitarian ties, is proof of that," he explained.
Different interpretations of the Minsk Agreements
Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Lavrov has informed Truss at a press conference following the talks that Kiev is reluctant to implement the Minsk Agreements.
"We thoroughly explained the situation around Kiev’s reluctance to implement the Minsk Agreements as the Ukrainian regime is not only unwilling to fulfill them but openly rejects them," he said.
According to Lavrov, Russia and Britain interpreted the Agreements in different ways.
"We have different interpretations of the Minsk Agreements though I don’t understand how it is possible to have different interpretations of what is written in black and white," he expressed.
Lavrov disappointed with the talks
The Russian FM told reporters that he was "disappointed" with the talks, repeating that Russia's security concerns are being set aside.
“As for the ultimatums and threats, this is a dead-end and will yield nothing,” Lavrov said.
The minister underlined that "some of our western colleagues are carried away by this in their public statements and I can’t call this diplomacy.”
"I felt our colleagues were either not aware of the explanations that have been given by our president, or they are completely ignoring them," he added.
Truss: We need to see words followed up by actions
For her part, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss pointed out that Russia needs to withdraw troops from its border with Ukraine to ease tensions between Moscow and the West.
"We need to see the troops and the equipment stationed on the Ukrainian border moved elsewhere because at present it is in a very threatening posture," Truss said at a press conference following a meeting with Lavrov.
The British secretary indicated that "Lavrov has said to me today that Russia has no plans to invade Ukraine but we need to see those words followed up by actions."
Before heading to Moscow, Truss had warned Russia "that any further invasion would incur severe costs, including through a coordinated package of sanctions."
Russia has repeatedly denied any intention to invade Ukraine while pointing to NATO's military activity as a threat to Russian national security.
Just a couple of days after 2,000 US troops land in Europe to "assist" Kiev against Russia, London has also pitched in, sending more than 100 of its special forces advisors to the Ukrainian capital to train and aid the Ukrainian military.
